Jackson Merrill Led The Padres When It Mattered Most

After looking lifeless and losing elimination games in back-to-back seasons, is it time to question Manny Machado’s ability to be the leader of a World Series-contending team?

In the third and final game of the Wild Card series against the Chicago Cubs, the San Diego Padres came out completely flat and could not do anything on offense until the ninth inning. The offense looked so lifeless that they never put together more than two hits in an inning. The team’s two biggest-name players, Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., faded away in the most crucial game of the season, both going hitless in seven at-bats between the two.

The end of the Padres' 2025 season was eerily similar to that of their 2024 season, when they laid an egg in the last game of the Divisional Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Machado and Tatis Jr. went hitless in a combined six at-bats. Both games saw the Padres not being able to figure anything out on offense, and manager Mike Shildt not trying to change that by making lineup adjustments during the game.

After seeing the team stall out when it mattered most in the past two postseasons, it makes sense to question if the team really hates losing more than they love winning.

One of the key factors suggesting that may be the case is Machado’s postgame interview after the season-ending loss. He didn’t seem to have any anger or frustration, and he even smiled and laughed at the reporter asking him questions. He did not seem even to be disappointed by losing, let alone angry about it. He again showed similar nonchalant behavior when the Padres clinched a spot in the postseason. While the team was partying and celebrating their accomplishment, Machado seemed to be on a whole different level compared to his teammates.

Seeming to be relatively content with just making the postseason is not good enough at this point. Leaders should be able to celebrate a feat like a postseason berth, but also stay grounded and acknowledge the fact that the job is not finished. After their teams won their respective divisions, Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies and Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners both gave the message that there was more work to be done for their teams going into the postseason.

A similar message came from Jackson Merrill when the Padres clinched a postseason berth: “We’re in the dance, it's time to dance,” he said.

It was Merrill who was finally able to light a spark for the team and get something going in the ninth inning of the crucial elimination game. After he hit a leadoff home run to right-center field to cut the deficit to two, the Padres' offense managed to get the go-ahead run to the plate with runners on second and third. Granted, both of the baserunners reached on a hit by pitch, but if Merrill doesn’t leave the yard, who knows if they ever end up in a situation nearly that good?

Merrill fits the mold for team captain better than Tatis Jr. because he doesn’t pursue the spotlight. Tatis Jr. knows how good he is, and he plays with an attitude because he knows how good he is. He can sometimes get caught up in his own image and buy into his image, like when he started dancing to fans heckling him about his substance scandal back in 2022.

Merrill may not be the best player on the team as Machado and Tatis Jr. may be more productive, but the leader does not necessarily have to be the best on a team to be a leader.